The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-04
A SENSATION AT GRIFFIN.
The Town Skinned by a Plausible
Stranger.
Griffin (Ga.) Special to Macon Telegraph.

|
| Griffin (Gd) Special to Macon Telegraph.
/ Our city is very much excited over the
! disappearance of Fl. O. Wood, who left this
| CITY nearly four weeks ago with the eX-
pressed intention of attending to n business
! matter that had connection with the estab-
| lishment of the proposed Merchants Ma
| tional Bank, with which he was connected
as the alleged president. The entire par
ticulars as learned by your correspondent
are as follows; In February, 1896. a gentle
man representing himself as Maj. H. o. Wood,
n very wealthy lumber dealer of Boston,
| and the owner of ~ per cent of the Amos
! keag mills, came to this place with w. Ii.
| Moore. a former citizen of this place. whom
he met in Atlanta From Moore he secured
800 on the representation that he had
| bought the Georgia Hotel and paid $1,000
upon it and wanted Moore for a partner.
| Wood then deposited $500 in the City Ma
tionaI Bank here, and, as an invalid who
had come South for his health, he was gen
orally received in n very hospitable manner,
being a man Of handsome style and appear
ance, and upon occasion very agreeable
manners He secured a note from lady at
the house where he was boarding, given by
local firm, for 81 600, representing to her
that he was about to start "a bank and
would give her stock in the same. This he
hypothecated and used the proceeds, buying
an expensive horse and buggy and living in
elegant style In July he was elected
Captain of the Spalding Greys and the
same night gave a banquet at the armory,
at which many of the best people OF the city
were present, as was also lady introduced
as his sister, of Boston.
About this time, he bought four acres of
land at the south end Of town and proceeded
to beautify it in good style and taste, and to
erect a small wooden cottage on the same.
On Aug. 30 he was quietly married TO the
only daughter of Capt II. 7. Hill, one of
the richest men of Griffin, and started off
for European tour. When he got to At
lanta he had his wife mortgage her bridal
present of 400 acres of the best land in
Spalding county for 81 200, on which they
proceeded to Europe. On their return in
November 200 acres of land was
sold at 500 an acre, although $40 was
alleged as the consideration i'll the title. The
proceeds were used to pay the mortgage on
the land and to refund to Moore and the
lady referred to the money for which they
were becoming anxious. Soon after the
other 200 acres were sold at the same price.
At the same time he exhibited to friends
here a bank book showing deposit of S2O,-
600 at the Merchants Bank of Atlanta, which
bank states he never had over 81, 900 depos-
tied there at one time.
Early this spring Maj Wood preached a
scheme to start another bank here. The
new bank was to be called the Merchants
National, and was to have capital of $500
600, of which $50, 900 was to be furnishedby
himself and other local capitalists, and
Sl50,0OO by Boston men. He was to be
President, W. E. H. Searcy vice President,
and d. d. Peden, an experienced gentle
man, formerly IN business here was to be
cashier. In pursuance of this scheme the
old bank building on Solomon street was
at once started to be repaired, and
has really been much improved in appear
anCe. Not wishing. however, to ImnecesSa-
rily antag nize an already established in
stitution, Mr.. Wood then offered to buy out
the Griffin Banking Company with its CAPT
tai tDck of $4,000 for So, 600, paying 3d.
600 cash and giving his note for $73, 900.
This b ing declined he approached Messrs.
Searcy and Peden and secured $4,000 from
each of them, i'll order, as he said, to pay
81, 900 borrowed ON $4,000 of bonds in At
lanta, which bonds he wished to deposit for
the bank in Washington Mr. Peden, how
ever, was too wary to be caught unprotect-
ell, and holds a receipt for his money
signed not only by Wood, as President of
the new bank, but by Mr.. Searcy, as Vice
President As Mr.. Searcy is financially
responsible for that amount, Mr.. Peden will
not be "A loser in any event, however it may
effect Mr. SearcY. IL was with these funds
in his possession that Mr.. Wood left for Gin
cinnati on June Z as above stated More
than this, it is stated that bank of this city
has received notice that a note for $4,000,
Endorsed by Mrs Wood will be due and
payable here in July, suca a note being, it is
strongly surmised, a quick and easy way
while in Atlanta to secure more money for
the expenses of the Cincinnati trip.
Information from Washington is to the
effect that no application has heen made for
II charter for a national bank. Neither the
wife Of the absent bank president or any one
else has had any communication with him
whatever, save telegram from Cincinnati
two days after his departure, stating that he
was called TO New York on business con
nected with the vault that had been ordered
for his proposed bank from the Hall Safe
and Lock Company, of Cincinnati, by rea-
son of "A strike among. the employees of that
company. He is not expected back by any
one. There are other rumors about him we
refrain from mentioning and that cannot be
established.